Devil's deal
by Horouka
Summary: AU. When Sanji dies at the hands of a vengeful ex-lover, a chance to go back to life will be offered to him: to prevent Zoro, his fiancé, from falling in love with another man during the next year, otherwise he'll spend the eternity in Hell. Would be easier if Zoro could see him. SanjixZoro AcexZoro LuffyxZoro OthersxZoro
1. The contract

**I spent more time trying to write the summary than the story itself. LOL. **

**EDIT 08/01: Some words were erased and I just realized it. Aaaaand Sanji and Zoro's character filter (or whatever it is called) didn't appear, ugh. I hope it does now, though.**

* * *

Beep. Beep.

Sanji turned the alarm off as quickly as possible, annoyed by the noise it produced. It was Monday morning, he was unusually tired and he didn't want his peacefully sleeping marimo to wake up yet. Sanji blinked a few times, trying to adjust his eyes to the faint light that came from the window.

Turning back to face his partner, he glanced at the hickeys on his sun-kissed neck, remembering the reason of his fatigue with a satisfied smirk. He tried not to remember too much, or else he would get a nosebleed and Zoro would tease him for that. He decided to focus on Zoro's serene face, his hand reaching out to caress it softly.

Ah, how he loved to awaken like this every day.

Slowly, as if he feared that the sight before him would disappear if he made a too abrupt movement, he got up from the bed, his eyes never leaving Zoro's sleeping figure. Once he was on his feet, he stretched his muscles to get rid of the last traces of tiredness, and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Time seemed to fly while he was preparing he and Zoro's meal, because when he turned back to put the plates on the table, he saw Zoro at the kitchen's entrance.

"G'morning." He mumbled, rubbing his left eye.

"Good morning." Sanji smiled sympathetically when Zoro sat at the table and winced in slight pain. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm a little sore, that's all." Zoro directed his gaze at the delicious-looking breakfast in front of him. "It was my turn to cook, curly-brow. Why didn't you wake me up?" Zoro frowned. Sanji shrugged.

"Guess you looked so beautiful I didn't want to bother you." He seated at the opposite side. Zoro blushed slightly, averting his gaze.

"Pervy cook." He grunted. "I told you not to leave hickeys." He added, his hand touching the notorious love-bites left on his neck.

"I couldn't help it." Sanji smirked. Zoro scowled at him, though Sanji deemed it adorable since it was accompanied by Zoro's blush.

Ah, this day was so perfect.

"I don't care! My parents are coming tonight for dinner, what do you think they'll think if they see me wearing a scarf in summer?"

So much for calling a Monday 'perfect'.

"W-what?!" Sanji stammered, astonished.

"I told you yesterday." Zoro stated matter-of-factly. "Since they couldn't come last week, they're coming tonight."

_Oh, right. How could I have forgotten about them?_ He thought half sarcastically. Well, maybe because they weren't his favorite people in the world, maybe because last night he was quite _**busy**_ with their son...

"Pervert!" Zoro threw a napkin at his face when he noticed Sanji's nosebleed and lost gaze. "I only hope you don't do the same when my parents are here... It will be enough of a hassle to explain the scarf." Zoro sighed.

Sanji wiped the blood off his face, his thoughts again filled with the unpleasant future visit of Zoro's parents.

"At what time will they come?" The blonde asked, not feeling hungry anymore but eating anyway.

"Six o' clock. I'll be the one cooking, so you don't have to worry about getting home earlier." Zoro explained. "Oh, and **please**, don't be late, you know how much dad hates it..."

_Does he hate me being late or does he hate __**me**__? _Sanji thought while chewing the last bite of his food.

"I won't." He stood up and left his plate and glass on the sink. "It's getting late, better get going." He said after looking at the wall clock. Zoro nodded, standing up to wash the dishes. Sanji went upstairs to get dressed for work.

Once Sanji was ready, he went back to the kitchen, where Zoro was sat, reading the newspaper. The green haired man was looking at the job offers, again. Sanji couldn't help but sigh at the sight.

Zoro's family was rich. Sanji didn't know about this until recently, since Zoro didn't act like the typical snobby bastards that he had used to see every day at school. Due to Zoro's status, he didn't need to work, but he still felt bored at home without his swords (he left them at his parent's mansion, with a lot of other stuff), and he was too proud to spend his parents' money in whatever way he and Sanji would need.

The only problem was that Zoro was very picky with jobs, so he hadn't found one to his liking yet. Nevertheless, Sanji thought it was adorable of him.

"You know we don't need more money, my salary's enough to keep us both fine. Even if we decided to have a baby it would be just fine." He joked. Zoro huffed at him.

"I don't feel like adopting kids, you know."

"Oh? But, who said anything about adopting? If _**Zoro-chwan**_ wants to make babies with me, I guess it could happen if we had a lot of sex—" a folded newspaper was thrown at his face.

"You're late for work, pervy cook." He stood up with an evident blush and pecked Sanji's cheek goodbye.

"Aw, not on the lips?" Sanji pouted.

"I'm still mad about the hickeys, you know." Sanji couldn't take him seriously when that cute blush adorned his face, and left a kiss on Zoro's forehead before heading to the main door. "Oh, and don't forget to come back for dinner—"

"At 6 pm, I know." He said before shutting the door.

* * *

Well, the day hadn't started as good as he had wanted it to, but at least he did something he loved at work.

Sanji worked at one of the best restaurants in the city, the Baratie. His adoptive father, Zeff, was the head chef. Since he was a kid, Sanji had helped at the restaurant, delivering the food, doing the washing up, etc.; but his true dream was being a chef. Luckily, that dream had been fulfilled, and now his current goal was to become the best chef in the city; one that could even surpass the chefs of All Blue (the best restaurant in the city).

"You're late, brat!" Zeff scolded, stomping his peg leg against the floor.

Sanji felt a vein popping on his forehead.

"I'm not, you shitty old man!" He yelled as well.

"Don't snap back at me, damn it! Of course you're late; today's the wedding of the mayor's daughter and we still have a lot of work to do, so move your ass! We're lucky she chose us for the wedding reception instead of that shitty, air-headed _**hellhole**_!" Zeff was talking about the All Blue restaurant. He had a grudge against it because he used to be a chef there, but was kicked out for engaging in a fight with a client for looking down at his skills.

Sanji growled in defeat.

"Patty's in charge of the cake and desserts, you'd better help Carne with the rest of the buffet." Zeff said. "Don't mess it up, eggplant. This client is a very important one." He sighed before heading off to supervise the other chefs.

Sanji nodded to himself. Today was going to be a hell of a busy day.

* * *

Sanji sat on a nearby chair, exhaling a tired breath. It was break time and they still had a lot to do. He briefly wondered if he could make it to dinner with Zoro's parents, but shook off that thought as soon as it came. Thinking about them only made his stomach burn with dread.

When his break ended, he stood up and resumed his work.

"You calling that an onion soup?! The dirt in my boot tastes better than this shit!" Sanji heard Zeff yelling to a poor colleague.

"Zeff's really stressed today." Carne commented, his gaze not leaving the meat he was chopping.

"He's not the only one, trust me."

"By the way, there's this lady that came last night..."

"Huh?"

"Let me finish. You weren't here last night, right? Around 8 pm, a woman came and asked for you." Carne's voice lowered to a whisper when he saw that Zeff was approaching them.

"That's strange..." Sanji answered, quite intrigued.

"The only thing strange will be the scene of the crime when I murder you two for chit-chatting at work!" Zeff roared behind them.

"Oi, shitty old man," Sanji glanced at his father. "Did a lady ask for me last night?"

"Hell if I know. I thought you were engaged to Zoro." Zeff growled back.

"I am." Sanji stated. "But it's sort of strange, I can't put my finger on why, but..."

"Probably an ignorant fangirl of yours. Get back to work." The phone ringed and Zeff went to answer it. "Must be the mayor's daughter." He mumbled.

"It really seems strange." Carne said. "She looked a little old to be called a 'fangirl'."

"Wait, don't tell me. It's Kureha, right?" Sanji suddenly guessed, remembering the old lady that usually came to dinner with his grandson, Chopper.

"Hell, no! Everyone here knows that old witch. Besides, Kureha knows your address, I see no point in asking again."

"That woman asked for my address?" Sanji was surprised.

"Yeah, but we didn't give it to her, we thought she was one of those creepy stalkers around the city, you know? So she left. There really was something **dark** about her..." Sanji gulped. "Hey, what if it happens to be one of the several girls you left heartbroken?" Carne suggested, sending chills up Sanji's spine.

"I-I'm not like that anymore!"

"Yeah, 'cuz you met Zoro and all that stuff. But what if one of the girls is trying to get revenge on you just now? What if she had these grudge on you for so long and—"

"Enough, Carne!" Sanji interrupted him. "First, I've never, ever, hurt a lady on purpose. Second, your theory makes no sense, all the ladies that I've ever met knew that I couldn't be in a formal relationship with them, and they agreed with it."

Carne still seemed doubtful.

* * *

Before Sanji met Zoro, he was a waiter at the Baratie. As a waiter, he had the chance of meeting with very beautiful ladies while delivering their food. If the lady was single, he would ask for their number, they would have sex after his work ended, but just that. One night stands. No feelings, just sex and goodbye. Of course, Sanji was polite enough to make that clear before doing anything with a lady. There was only one exception, though...

He couldn't remember her name well, but they had more than one encounters. Sanji liked her, she liked him, and they almost had a formal relationship. Almost.

It resulted that the woman was already in a relationship with another man, engaged no less. Sanji felt disgusted at the idea of a lady cheating on her 'significant other' with him, so he broke up with her on the spot. He wasn't just disgusted of her lies, he was somewhat afraid of the consequences of having an affair with her. He knew of some friends who had happened to date married or engaged women and ended up dead or heavily beaten by their husbands.

"She said I had forced her. Ha! Can you believe it?" He remembered one of his friends had told him, at the hospital. The poor guy had the bad luck of dating a yakuza's unsatisfied wife. He was lucky to still be alive.

Once he broke up with that woman, he vowed to stop being such a playboy. If he ever needed sex, he looked for a prostitute. He still flirted with the ladies at the restaurant, but didn't ask for their numbers anymore.

His friends at the Baratie were aware of this change, but didn't ask the reasons. Soon later, Zoro had visited the restaurant with his parents. Sanji was now a chef, but once the waiter told him that 'the green haired beauty at table 5 wants to meet the chef', he couldn't say no. He couldn't contain his surprise when he saw that he was a man, and he wasn't just beautiful, he was _gorgeous_. His heart skipped a beat: it had been years since he felt like that _for a man_. For a second he forgot that his parents were right there, he couldn't help swooning over him.

Of course, Zoro's parents didn't like him since that very moment. Zoro's mother, Perona, was beautiful, and his father, Mihawk, was handsome. Sanji wouldn't have minded having them as parents-in-law until Mihawk pointed a knife at him and told him to get away from his son.

Thankfully, Zoro had asked for his number before leaving the restaurant with a very angry Mihawk and an overprotective Perona. And now they were engaged, much to his parents' chagrin.

Thinking about that woman and Zoro suddenly worried Sanji. What if she decided to hurt Zoro in order to get her revenge?

He stopped chopping celery and hurried to the kitchen phone. He dialed the number and waited anxiously for Zoro to answer.

"Hello?" Sanji let out a relieved breath at the sound of his fiancé's voice.

"Ah, Zoro, it's me, Sanji."

"What's up? You sound worried."

"Please, listen to me, don't get out of the house, don't let strangers in, don't—"

"Wait, what? I'm not a kid, cook. I know how to take care of myself, swords or not. Besides, who would want to hurt me? It's not like you have done something bad."

_Oh, god_.

"Just... Stay at home. I'll be there at six."

"Okay? But what's going o—" Zoro's unsure question was never completely heard, because Sanji hung up and resumed his cooking, trying to focus on his work.

Zoro, on the other hand, frowned. What could possibly have Sanji so worried? The only time that someone had tried to hurt him was when he was a little child, and he was kidnapped. It hadn't been half an hour since he was abducted and Mihawk had appeared in front of the kidnapper's hideout. Zoro didn't saw what happened next, since Mihawk told him to close his eyes, but he clearly heard someone screaming, and it wasn't his dad. Since that day, no one messed with him. His family was not only rich, but dangerous. So, going back to the same question... What could possibly worry Sanji?

* * *

It was 5:30 pm when Sanji finished with his part of the buffet. He left the restaurant after reporting it to Zeff.

A dreadful feeling had been tormenting him since he called Zoro. He turned back occasionally, as if fearing that someone was following him. Of course, it seemed stupid, since he lived in a very populated city and there was a lot of people walking in the same direction as him.

He wasn't weak at all, in fact, he was strong enough to take down a man or two, but it still worried him the possibility of an entire gang going against him. He was still human, a bullet to the heart or head and he would be a goner.

_Damn it all!, _he thought, reaching for a smoke and a lighter in his pocket. He put the cancer stick on his lips and lit it. He couldn't shake the anxiety off of his mind, but at the same time he wondered if it really was worth worrying about. He didn't know if the woman who visited the restaurant yesterday was the same woman he didn't want to meet again.

When he felt a finger poking his shoulder, he stopped walking and turned around immediately.

"Yes?" He asked as a reflex, but froze as soon as he saw the face of the one who had touched him.

"Ah, I finally found you." Before him was a woman whose face resulted awfully familiar.

Sanji felt a cold sweat forming on his brow, despite all his efforts to convince himself that being afraid was ridiculous.

"Do I know you?" He blurted out, just to make sure that he wasn't seeing things.

"Of course you do, silly, you wouldn't look so disturbed if you didn't." She chuckled.

_Damn it._

"Excuse me, but I'm quite in a hurry, so..." Sanji was about to turn away, but she clutched his arm, delicately.

"It won't take long. Please, I only need to talk to you." Sanji clenched his eyelids shut, hating himself for being so vulnerable to women's wishes. He sighed. "Just a minute." He knew he should have refused, but nodded instead. Her smile widened a little, and she took his wrist, leading him to a nearby alley. "It's been two years, I've missed you." Her voice was silky, enticing; Sanji regretted following her as soon as he noticed the lust in her voice. Her long and soft fingers caressed his cheek, contact that made him stagger backwards.

"I wish I could say the same."

"Huh?" She looked confused for a second, as if she wasn't used to rejection. "Are you still mad at me? Seriously?" Her voice was indignant.

Sanji gulped.

"Yeah," he said. "If you wanted to relive old times or something like that, I'm not the one you should ask for." He tried to sound polite, but the woman's offended glare was making it quite the task. "I'm engaged with someone else, you see."

"I know." Sanji was surprised and angry to hear that. He chewed on his cigarette.

"Then you should know better than to ask me." He couldn't help the stern tone that came out of his lips. "I'll never betray him."

"Because he's the son of Dracule Mihawk, right?" Her face turned to an amused one. "You're scared of him, right? Don't worry, he won't ever know." She tried to kiss him, but Sanji stepped back.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you don't know anything. Forget about me, and stay away from Zoro." He warned, starting to leave the alley.

"You'll regret this, Sanji Blackleg!" He was about to turn away to answer back, when he heard a gunshot. He suddenly felt very weak, and a burning pain on his upper back told him where the bullet had gone. He fell on his knees, his hand traveling to his chest, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Damn...!" His vision turned blurry, the smell of blood assaulted his nostrils, and soon everything turned black.

OooooooooooooO

Zoro bit his lower lip in frustration. It was 7 pm and Sanji wasn't anywhere to be seen. His parents had stayed, even though they had finished eating long ago. Zoro wasn't hungry anymore, his parents' disapproving comments had ruined his appetite. Zoro stared at his unfinished plate, as if doing so would make Sanji come back.

"You really shouldn't be dating that jerk. He can't even be here on time, and look at this dump, does he seriously expect you to live here? It's so small! And uncute." Perona huffed. "Why are you wearing a scarf, by the way? I thought I taught you how to dress well, and it's summer!"

Zoro blushed in embarrassment. Mihawk's eye caught his gesture.

"I'll kill him." He growled, standing up.

"Wait... Don't tell me...!" Perona gasped in realization, horrified.

"No, mom! I-I caught a cold, I swear!" Zoro stuttered.

"You can't expect me to believe that, young man." Mihawk spoke.

"T-t-that lowlife d-defiled you?!" Perona shrieked. Zoro's blush deepened, and he wanted to disappear. This was so awkward!

The doorbell rang in that moment. Zoro went to answer so he would be away of his parents' questions.

"You're finally..." He was surprised when the one at his door wasn't Sanji, but a police officer. "Uh... Do you need anything?" He was confused.

"Are you Dracule Zoro?" The cop asked, a little afraid of the infamous last name.

"Yeah." He answered.

"Who is it, Roronoa?" Mihawk's voice came from the living room.

"A cop, dad!" Zoro answered, and said cop felt his knees shaking with fear when Mihawk approached Zoro, Perona following him.

"He'd better be quick. Our conversation isn't over, young man." Mihawk's eyes narrowed.

"Ahem... Are you involved with Sanji Blackleg?" He asked again, his voice a little weak.

"Yeah, why? Has he done anything?" The cop's face turned grim, and he shook his head no. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"I'm deeply sorry to be the one telling you this, but his body has been found near Gyojin Street."

"W-what?!" Zoro exclaimed, not wanting to believe him. But he was a cop, and he was the son of Dracule Mihawk and the grandson of Gecko Moria, so why would someone as serious as a policeman dare to lie to him? "I-It can't be!" He felt tears forming on his eyes, and a hand went to his mouth to prevent any whimper from escaping. The policeman felt really bad at the sight of Zoro, and he felt no better when Mihawk's angry stare was directed at him.

"Is that all, officer?"

"Uh, I'm afraid yes. We're still looking for the culprit. The body is still being analyzed, but it's possible that the cause of death was—"

"I trust you'll find him or her soon." Mihawk interrupted him, making clear that such kind of information wasn't needed at the moment. The cop nodded and Mihawk dismissed him, closing the door just moments before Zoro's sorrowful sobs started.

Perona was holding him in a comforting embrace, her own eyes watering. She didn't like Sanji, but she definitely hated seeing her only son like this, it tore her heart.

"Hush, it will be alright." Mihawk joined them, hugging his wife and son tightly. Zoro simply couldn't believe him. How could _**anything**_ be alright now?

* * *

"Ugh..." Sanji groaned, clutching his head. He felt like a car had run over him. Slowly, he opened his eyes, not recognizing his surroundings.

There were clouds, so many clouds... And a golden gate?

"Where am I?" He asked, feeling that he wouldn't like the answer.

"You're at Heaven, Sanji Blackleg." A serene voice spoke behind him. Sanji turned around and saw a handsome young man with wavy blonde hair and a scar over his left eye. He gasped when he noticed his wings and halo.

"H-Heaven?!"

"Yup, my name's Sabo and I'm here to give you a tour, since none of your loved ones are dead." He smiled friendly.

Sanji stood up, surprised.

"This has to be a mistake!"

"I thought so too, after all, you're a perverted, irascible man," Sabo's shoulders slumped. Sanji frowned at him. So much for a stranger to like him. "But the Boss seemed to like you, so he let you in." He explained. "Now, shall we go?" He pointed at the golden gates awaiting them.

"No! I can't be dead! Zoro... The shitty old man..." He was horrified.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Sabo shrugged.

"You don't get it! This is insane! I need to be with Zoro, can't you go talk with your boss so he can return me back to life or something?"

"Well, I guess... Not. The zombie apocalypse isn't going to occur in another 300 years and the wound you got was deadly, so it would seem suspicious if he revived you." Sanji decided not to ask further.

"There has to be a way!"

"Oh, of course there is!" Another voice spoke, and Sabo's face turned into a scowl. Suddenly, a very tall woman appeared, wearing very skimpy clothes that, added to her well-endowed figure, caused Sanji a nosebleed.

"Iva-chan..."

"Hello, candy-boy!" She spoke in a deep, sweet voice. Her demon tail wagged.

"This is heaven..." Sanji mumbled with a goofy smile.

"She's not part of us!" Sabo exclaimed, smacking Sanji when he noticed his nosebleed.

"Y-you say there's a way to come back to life? How?" Sanji asked, rubbing the slump on his head. Iva-chan smirked.

"You can make a contract with me, Emporio Ivankov." She winked, taking Sanji's face into her hands.

"Don't listen to her, Sanji-kun!" Sabo took Sanji's arm, trying to keep him away from the purple-haired woman.

"Tell me how!" Sanji pleaded. Ivankov took his other arm, stopping Sabo from going further.

"I'll borrow him for a while, Sabo-kun!" She disappeared along with Sanji.

"It's the tenth one you take away from me, damn it!" Sabo stomped his foot on the cloud he was stepping on. "The boss's not gonna be happy." His face turned pale.

Sanji was taken to a very different place from Heaven. There were no clouds, but there was a heart shaped rainbow in the sky, and a lot of pink trees.

"Is this... Hell?" He asked, and Ivankov laughed.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, candy-boy." She answered. "Enough chit-chat. I'll explain your contract." Sanji nodded. "I can't bring you back to life immediately, but I can turn you into a ghost."

"What?" Sanji frowned.

"Let me finish, candy boy! There's this boy... Zoro, right? Is he your lover?" She licked her lips lustily. Sanji gulped, but nodded. "Oh, that's so sweet! Well, here's the deal. If you spend one year here in my kingdom, I'll turn you into a ghost, so you can visit the world of the living."

"Why a year, and why a ghost?" Sanji didn't seem convinced.

"Shh, I haven't finished!" She put her finger on his lips. "Your lover, Zoro, is a very beautiful young man." She said. "And his parents hate you." She was right. "It doesn't take a genius to know that they won't let him mourn over you for the rest of his life, hmm?" Sanji nodded again. "In a year, they'll start introducing him to very handsome young men, trust me. I've got a very good source. I don't know what happens next, but you can imagine it, can't you?"

Sanji gulped, of course he knew what would happen.

"He'll fall in love with one of them." He said bitterly.

"Bingo, candy-boy! But you can't let that happen, can you? So here's the real deal, once you spend a year with me and my girls, I'll turn you into a ghost, so you can prevent Zoro from falling in love with another man! Or woman, who knows. If a year passes and Zoro is still in love with you, you'll get back to life. What do you say, boy?"

Sanji seemed thoughtful.

"And what if I don't succeed? What if Zoro falls in love with another person?" He asked.

"Ooh, wise boy. Let's see, if you fail..." Her nails grew sharp and pointy, and she struck both sides of her waist with them. "You'll spend the rest of eternity with me and my girls!" A tall, big-headed _**man**_ was now standing before Sanji. The blond chef couldn't supress a scream.

"W-w-what are you?!"

"I'm Emporio Ivankov, Okama Queen, Incubus King and this are my girls!" An entire crowd of cross-dressed _**men**_ appeared behind him. The sight was enough to make Sanji scream again. "Why so scared, I thought you liked men!" He taunted.

"N-not like this, you idiot! This is hell!"

"I'm glad you realized it! For you, who hates my girls, this is Hell. But don't worry! You aren't going to be here at all, you were chosen for Heaven, right? Unless you want the chance to be with Zoro again... Well, whatever, I'll better give you back to Sabo-kun."

"Wait." Sanji spoke before he could reach his arm.

"Hmm?" Ivankov smiled, he knew what was about to come.

"... I accept. I'll spend a year here, but you better keep your part of the deal!" He pointed his finger at him.

"Of course. Mind you, my girls won't be easy on you."

"I didn't expect them to be." Sanji grunted.

"Then this is going to be hell of fun, _**candy-boy**_." Ivankov's masculine voice sent unpleasant shivers up Sanji's spine, but the blond didn't falter. He shook the demon's hand, sealing their contract.

* * *

**I hate sundays. Hope you have liked the story, though. Review if you feel like it. **


	2. The comeback

**I had this ready like... two days ago. Sorry I didn't update sooner orz**

* * *

The news had spread like wildfire around the city. Sanji Blackleg, a mildly-famous chef in the city, not only for his cooking skills, but for his popularity with the ladies, had been shot from behind, the bullet pierced his left lung and heart.

The press didn't waste time and started speculating about the murderer's identity and motive. The most accepted theory was of _crime passionnel_, since Sanji was known for his flirtatious nature.

During the first days of investigations, Zoro had refrained from talking with the media. His father forbade him from doing so, since he only needed to speak with the police department, and that was already done. However, there were some nosy journalists that wouldn't stop asking for an interview. Once Mihawk knew about this, he ordered Zoro to move back with Perona and him. He knew it was just matter of time before Zoro's hot temper surfaced and he did something that would only cause Mihawk a headache.

Zoro had complied, though reluctantly, and by the fourth day he was already living with his parents again.

Those days were terrible for Zoro. He hadn't eaten properly since Sanji's death was announced to him. That didn't stop Perona from forcing him to eat a little, however. His father had taken all his training equipment because he wouldn't allow Zoro to train without eating properly.

When he wasn't sulking in his bedroom where no one could bother him, he acted very irritated. He still couldn't believe it. The one he loved was gone, his life had been taken by a person Zoro didn't know, but if he ever got to meet them…

Zoro couldn't even assist to Sanji's funeral because there were journalists and cameras and Mihawk strictly prohibited every member of his family from getting involved with the press. They, being related to the criminal underworld and the mafia boss Gecko Moria, didn't need nor want to be the spotlight at Sanji's burial. Even Zoro would stand like a sore thumb in that place.

However, Zoro could still watch the live broadcast of Sanji's funeral. It was being held at the Baratie, which had been closed until that day. Zeff, Sanji's father, looked sad, but also... Guilty?

He stared intently at the flat-screen TV on the wall of his bedroom, waiting for Zeff to talk with the journalists (or kick them out of his restaurant). It happened the other way around. The reporter, a black haired young man, finally stopped talking and approached the head chef of the Baratie. As soon as he did so, the rest of reporters rounded Zeff.

"Um, Mr. Blackleg," Zoro quickly deduced that the black-haired reporter was a rookie, judging by the waver in his voice. "We at Grand Line News offer our condolences at this difficult time, and I was wondering if—"

"A woman came on Sunday." He interrupted, looking at him with a grave face. Suddenly, every journalist had his eyes on him, the cameras flashed and Zoro gulped expectantly. "She asked for his number and address, but we didn't give them to her. I didn't care at the moment, but once Sanji knew she visited, he turned pale as a ghost. If only..." He closed his eyes, as if wanting to fight back the tears. "Go ask Carne. He knows better than me." He sighed, his head low.

_A woman was looking for Sanji?_ Zoro thought, his brow furrowing in confusion.

The reporters wasted no time and hurried to interview Carne about the mysterious lady. The chef confirmed what Zeff had said.

"I remember her, she looked like she was on her late twenties or early thirties. Her hair was brown, but I don't remember the rest of her face, 'cept that she was kinda pretty. But... Once we denied her request for Sanji's address, she smiled at us."

"S-smiled?" The black haired reporter gasped.

"Yeah... It sent chills down my spine, y'know. There was something dark about her. I told Sanji about her the day after she came, and boy he looked troubled. He even called his fiancé to see if he was safe."

"He?" Another confused reporter asked.

"Yup, uh... He liked both girls and guys." He stated. "Any problem with that?"

"Eh... No. Not at all."

"Good. Well, the boss and I told the police 'bout her, but it's gonna kind of hard to get her, or that's what they told me. I didn't know her name, after all. I guess... Only Sanji did."

Zoro hugged his knees tightly. Who was this woman? What did she have to do with Sanji?

He knew of Sanji's weakness for women, but even so he accepted him. He thought it was funny to see Sanji's body becoming jelly and his ridiculous dance around every woman he encountered, and when Sanji would say something cheesy to her, Zoro would chuckle in amusement. Obviously, no woman had taken him seriously; most of them laughed along with Zoro. Sanji knew that his ridiculous actions wouldn't work with anyone, and that's why he did them: he didn't want anyone else.

_**"Except for my Zoro-kun, of course."**_

Remembering his words made Zoro's heart ache with longing. He felt so helpless.

He turned off the TV and buried his face on his soft pillows, trying to get some sleep.

The next day, the news of a witness that knew how Sanji's murdered looked like were the first thing that Zoro saw when he woke up and turned on the TV, anxious.

"I saw this dude with blond hair going into that alley with a hot chick." The witness talking to the reporter was a hobo named Disco. "I thought they were lovers or something and wanted some private time, so I followed them so I could watch them, y'know." A perverted grin appeared on his face and Zoro felt like throwing up. "I heard them talking, but I can't remember about what. The guy started to leave the alley before anything fun happened." He seemed disappointed, while Zoro frowned at the screen. He knew that Sanji, flirty or not, never betrayed him. The hobo kept talking. "Then, bang. He was gone. The chick had shot him. I ran away, I was scared, I admit it, but... I remember her face. I already told the cops, but I guess I could tell you..." A mischievous grin appeared on his face. "For five bucks."

"I've already paid you!" Zoro could hear the reporter's hushed retort, and felt embarrassed for him when he grunted and gave Disco what he requested.

"Alright." The vagabond seemed satisfied. "She had brown hair, or black, I can't remember, but it was dark. Her face wasn't too young, but she wasn't too old. Like, on her thirties? She was beautiful, though. Her eyes were dark and her skin was pale. She wore a short dress, a beige jacket and high heels."

"You seem to remember her quite well." The reporter commented.

"Well, what did you expect from me? That I would look at the guy?" His face turned sour.

"Eh... Anything else to add?" The journalist sweatdropped.

"I miss being a pimp..."

"Alright, thanks for your time." The reporter half grunted. The interview ended and now the TV showed the news studio, where the anchorman's uncomfortable grimace resembled Zoro's.

"We're going for a commercial break, please keep tuned."

Just when Zoro was about to turn off the TV, a gentle knock on his door startled him.

"Zoro, dearie," Perona's head peeped out. Worry was all over her features. "You haven't come out in days. Please join us for breakfast."

As if on cue, Zoro's stomach grumbled in agreement with his mother. When Zoro got up wordlessly (but with a blush that even his deep frown couldn't hide), Perona smiled softly at him. She could tell that Zoro was still affected by this whole issue, especially since Sanji's murderer hadn't been caught yet, but she hoped that Zoro would get over it.

Breakfast time was silent and peaceful, just the way Mihawk liked it. Perona noticed that her husband, even though he didn't show it, was relieved to have Zoro eating with them.

Two days later Sanji's murderer had surrendered to police. She was exactly as Carne and Disco described: beautiful, brown hair, in her thirties, and (Zoro knew this once he met her) there was something really dark about her.

When Zoro got the news, he immediately went to the detention center. He had planned to face Sanji's murderer since the first day, and now that she had been caught he knew exactly what to do.

The woman behind the glass wall didn't seem surprised when she saw him. It was rare for Zoro to find someone who wasn't intimidated by his presence.

"Why did you do it?" Zoro asked flatly. The woman chuckled in response, and the green haired man clenched his fists and teeth in anger. If there wasn't a guard with them, the woman would already be dead.

"He ruined my life." She spoke. Now Zoro was puzzled, his eyes demanding for an answer. "I cancelled my engagement to a good, handsome and rich man for him, that **bastard**." Zoro sent a hateful glare at her for referring to Sanji in that way. "And what I get in exchange? He dumps me. The same day I left my husband-to-be, that piece of garbage...!" Her eyes met Zoro's and she stopped abruptly. What surprised Zoro this time was that she wasn't scared, but satisfied when she noticed his glare. As if she had confirmed something. "So, I wanted to ruin his life. I knew he was engaged to you not long ago, so I tried to contact him. He's a sucker for women, well, he **was**. So I found him, we talked for a bit and went to a motel—"

"You're lying." Zoro accused, his fists trembling with the need to punch her.

"Wise boy, aren't you. Well, we didn't get to the motel, he couldn't keep his hands off of me in that alley—"

"Stop. Lying." His voice rose an octave. He didn't know what face he had at the moment, but the woman seemed satisfied with it.

"Did you think you had him tamed just because you are Dracule's son?" She smiled at him with false pity. "Well, he may had been scared of you and your family, I see no other explanation for him being engaged to you. But you see, it only took a little **encouragement** and he was all over me again."

"Then why did you kill him?" Zoro felt the urge to throw up whenever she spoke.

"We never got to the good part, my dear. I was planning to record our little session and send the video tape to you. I wanted to go to the motel room that I had prepared, but then he chickened out and left the alley. I took the gun out and wanted to threaten him, but it fired by itself."

Zoro stood up from his seat.

"You're a lying bitch. I hope you rot in prison." He said and left the room. When he opened the door, his face bumped into someone's chest. When he detected the smell of cigars, he knew exactly who it was. "Detective Smoker." He acknowledged, taking a step back.

"Good afternoon. Are you going already?" Zoro nodded. "Good. I was about to keep interrogating the suspect about the gun." He gave Zoro some space so he could get out of the room. "Also... I happened to hear a little of your conversation."

Zoro tensed a little, but shrugged it off.

"I'm glad you figured it out by yourself." Smoker added with a smirk on his face. Zoro's eyes widened in surprise, but when he was about to talk, Smoker had already closed the door.

_**So she was lying after all**_.

Zoro let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding back, and smiled faintly. It was ironic, he and his family weren't fond of the police and vice versa, but it had been a cop who had cheered him up just now.

Two weeks later, Greta Backstein was found guilty of premeditated murder.

* * *

**ONE YEAR LATER**

* * *

Zoro and his parents were having dinner together, as always. However, Perona's delighted smile wasn't unnoticed by the two men. Zoro glanced at his father, his eyes asking for an explanation for his mother's behavior. Mihawk's golden eyes, however, gave no answer.

"So, what's got you so happy, mom?" Zoro asked once he finished eating. "Did you find a new outfit for your dog?" He guessed.

"Not this time," Perona was still smiling. "This has nothing to do with Kumashi. Today, I happened to meet two of Whitebeard's boys after I left the salon!" She seemed absolutely excited, so no one dared to interrupt her until she was finished. "Oh, I know that 'what are you talking about' face you two are making! Whitebeard, you know, the model agency!"

Whitebeard wasn't only a model agency, but a monthly magazine that featured its own models, and the nickname of the owner, Edward Newgate.

"That dirty magazine you're always reading?" Mihawk said. Perona turned red.

"It's not dirty if they're only shirtless!" Perona protested.

"They're half nude." Mihawk's face kept calm.

"Half dressed!"

"So, what about those guys? Did they give you an autograph?" Zoro intervened, not wanting to see his parents argue. It worked, since Perona's smile came back to her.

"Yeah, but better yet! There was this absolutely handsome young man, and I couldn't resist!"

"Did you cheat on me with a model?" Mihawk's face was still neutral, so one couldn't tell if he was joking (pretty unlikely) or expressing jealousy in his own way.

"No! I'd never! And stop interrupting me!" She huffed. "I invited him to dinner with us tomorrow, and he said yes!"

"Wait, why would you do that?" Now Zoro was confused.

"For you, silly!" Zoro was startled to hear this.

"For me?"

"Yes, I invited him, since he's about your age. And he said yes after I showed him... This!" She stuck out a photo of Zoro. It would be completely fine for her to have it, if Zoro wasn't just covered with a towel, the steam and heat around him making his skin flush. Zoro's face started to resemble the color that he had in the photo, but for very different reasons.

"W-when did you take this?!" He cried out.

"I'd appreciate if you stopped showing that picture to random boys." Mihawk glared at her wife.

"I told you I couldn't resist! Think about it Zoro, give him a chance! He's totally cute, and you are too! It's perfect!"

"You arranged a date for me?" Zoro felt his head spinning.

"Uh-huh. His name is Ace. I think he appeared in the last issue, let me see..." She stood up from the table and left the dining room. Zoro sighed, annoyance and unsteadiness all over his features. Dating another man? He hadn't thought about it since Sanji was murdered. Yeah, after talking with that demon of a woman, he felt somewhat a little better, and he wasn't depressed anymore, but...

He still would think about Sanji and miss him sometimes.

On the other hand, he was a little mad at his mother for arranging a date without his consent, like he was some teenage girl from seventeenth century.

"Look, here is it!" Perona came back with a Whitebeard magazine in her hands. She showed the cover to Zoro, and the green haired man struggled not to gasp in surprise.

His mother hadn't lied when she said he was absolutely handsome. The man in the photo seemed to stare at him with flirty eyes, his printed gaze undressing the viewer. Ironic since he was the one half naked.

"Oh..." Was the only word that escaped his lips.

"I knew you would say that." Perona sported a winning smile. "Look at his freckles, they're so cute!" She pointed. "So, what do you say, Zoro? Would you give him a chance?"

The youngest man in the room, not trusting his own voice, could only nod.

* * *

"Finally, damn it!" Sanji's scream was heard all over Kamabakka Kingdom. Ivankov yawned, awakening from his nap.

"Oh, it is over already?" He mumbled, snapping his fingers to summon a calendar. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before checking it. "Time sure flies here." He commented, standing up and teleporting to where Sanji was.

Sanji looked like a total mess.

"Did you have fun with my girls, candy-boy?" He mocked.

"Fuck you!" Sanji panted, resting his hands on his knees. It had truly been a year of **hell**, but now that it was over he didn't have to keep running away from Ivankov's 'girls'. Man, he was so tired. He couldn't sleep the fatigue off because he was dead, and he couldn't die of fatigue for the same reason.

Now he was sure of two things. First, he would never want to go back there, and second...

"Now do your part of the deal, you shitty bastard!" He managed to look at Ivankov, and noticed that he was now a she.

"My, is that the way to treat a lady?" She feigned misery.

"Stop messing with me!"

"Alright, alright." She became a man again. "First, let's fix that look of yours." He snapped his fingers and Sanji's outfit was repaired. His body didn't feel sweaty anymore and his hair was combed properly.

"Thanks, I guess."

"Is there any place you would like me to teleport you?"

"Just send me where Zoro is." He grunted.

"Okay, okay." There was a malicious smile on his face while he said so.

"Something the matter?" Sanji frowned.

"It's just... Nothing. I have the feeling that you will **like** what you see when you go back to the world of the living." He chuckled, and Sanji didn't like it one bit. "Well, farewell, candy-boy!" He pushed Sanji backwards, and Sanji disappeared. "The second half of this show is finally going to start, you'd better make it interesting." His smile widened.

* * *

Sanji gasped. He felt as dizzy as he was just after his death. One second Ivankov had pushed him, and then, he was in a very different place.

After a few seconds, he adjusted his vision and found himself in a fancy room. A nice carpet was over the floor, there were some marble pillars and...

Zoro's parents were there. And Zoro was too. The happiness he would have felt in that moment was crushed because Zoro's hand was being held by another man.

* * *

**Author's note: You gotta forgive me, I ****had to**** introduce an OC since I didn't (couldn't) find a canon girl who would fit with the personality of Sanji's murderer, or maybe is because I don't dislike any female OP character so far (except for Catarina Devon and Octopako, but the first doesn't seem like the kind of lady Sanji would date lol) The OC's name was based on the word "Backsteingesicht", which means: "a face that begs to have a brick thrown at it."**


	3. Ace

**Hey hey hey! Chapter 3 is herrrrreeee!**

**For those who are wondering if Zoro's really having a date on Sanji's death anniversary (like you, Franny-chan)... Well he is. But you'll have to read to know how Zoro feels about that.**

**BTW when I say "current time" I mean the time where the last chapter left off.**

* * *

EARLIER THAT MORNING

* * *

Zoro woke up earlier than he usually did. At first, he couldn't tell why, but when he glanced at the date on his cellphone he figured it out.

Today was the anniversary of Sanji's death. And, today Ace, the model, was coming for dinner.

Damn his luck, couldn't his mother have picked another date?

As much as he knew that Perona disliked the late Sanji, he tried to convince himself that she wouldn't have invited Ace if she knew—or cared enough to remember— what day it was.

Zoro let out a deep breath and decided to take a shower to get rid of his tiredness and distract himself for a while.

When he got out of the bathroom, a butler was waiting for him.

"Young master Zoro." The green haired man cringed at the name. He had told the servants to just call him 'Zoro', but it seemed that they forgot. "Breakfast is ready. Your parents are waiting for you downstairs."

Zoro nodded in response and dismissed him.

"So, Zoro, aren't you excited for today?" Perona smiled at her son once he sat with them.

"I guess." He didn't even look at her. "By the way, I'm heading for the graveyard today. I'll be back before dinner." He announced. Perona gasped and Zoro found himself rolling his eyes.

"That's preposterous! Why would you want to go there? Do you even **know** how to get there?"

_Here she goes..._

"Today's Sanji's... Death anniversary." He explained. Perona flinched. Mihawk kept calm, his golden eyes wandering from his son to his wife.

"Oh, I-I see." She didn't seem pleased, but Zoro couldn't care less. "You can go, I guess." Zoro growled inwardly. He didn't need her permission!

Perona glanced at Mihawk.

"You take him there." She ordered. Both Mihawk and Zoro wanted to protest, but she spoke again. "You both know I **can't** go."

"I can go on my own." Zoro frowned.

"You'll get lost." Mihawk couldn't argue with that fact.

"I won't!"

"Roronoa, it took you **years** to learn the correct way to your bedroom." Mihawk countered.

"It's not my fault this house is so damn huge!"

"The city is even bigger! You're going with your father or you aren't going at all. That's final." Perona huffed. Zoro growled, but gave up.

* * *

After visiting Sanji's grave and leaving a bouquet of flowers on it, they met Zeff, Sanji's father. It was a little strange, since Zoro had only saw him twice before, the first when Sanji introduced them, and the second when Zeff appeared on TV. However, their little conversation wasn't unpleasant. Mihawk had urged Zoro to hurry, because he had an important meeting at 'work', and the sooner he got there, the sooner he would be back home to keep an eye on Zoro's date, but he wouldn't say that out loud.

While they headed home, Sanji was counting the hours to finally get out of Kamabakka's Kingdom. Today was **the** day. He only needed to wait till the exact time of his death and he would be—

"Don't be shy, Sanji-kun~!" He could hear the group of okamas approaching him.

"GYAAAAAAAAH! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

* * *

Once Zoro came back home, Perona pestered him to use 'better' clothes than the ones he was using.

"What's wrong with these?" He frowned.

"You don't look cute. You look like you came from a graveyard." She frowned back at him, looking away from the dog in her lap, Kumashi.

"I have, actually..." Zoro rolled his eyes.

"Well, you can't wear that on a date." A smile appeared on her lips. "I got something for you while I was shopping. You can use them."

"I hope it's not another of those sickeningly cute costumes that you like so much." Zoro spoke.

"Not this time. I promise, you'll like it too." She said. "I left it on your bed, you can't possibly miss it."

* * *

CURRENT TIME

* * *

Sanji was paralyzed by the current sight. He stared at Zoro's hand, which was still being held by an unknown man. He feared that he was too late. Did Zoro fall in love with someone else already?

_No, wait. If that had happened then I would already be back in hell._ He shuddered. He was about to plan what to do next, now that he was calmer, when he heard Perona's scream.

She was looking exactly in his direction, as if she could actually **see** him. Everyone else looked at her confused. Perona seemed to notice this and tried her best to compose herself.

"Are you alright, Ms. Dracule?" The freckled man asked, releasing Zoro's hand and approaching her.

"Oh, such a gentleman! Excuse me, I thought I saw... Kumashi doing a backflip." Everyone else directed his attention to the small brown dog who was taking a nap across from them. Even Sanji raised his eyebrow at the excuse. When he felt Perona's stare on him (which was conveniently in the same direction as Kumashi), he knew that Perona could really **see** him.

After all, that annoyed glare of hers had only been directed at him when he was alive.

"Don't mind me. Ace, Zoro, dinner will be done soon, so why don't you go take a walk—" she stopped mid-sentence when she heard a loud_ thump_.

Ace had fallen over the floor, worrying both Perona and Zoro, who kneeled beside him.

"Ace?! Is he dead?!" Perona shrieked, and Sanji hoped that she would be right, as mean as that sounded.

"He's..." Zoro put his ear over Ace's chest to check on his heartbeat. "He's fine." He let out a relieved breath.

"Well, don't stand there doing nothing. Help Zoro bring him to a guest room." Perona turned to Mihawk.

"I was going to do that, you don't need to boss me around." Mihawk sighed, approaching Ace and putting his arm around his shoulder. Zoro mimicked him and they both carried the unconscious man out of the living room, leaving Perona and Sanji alone.

The pink haired woman frowned at Sanji one last time, and then turned her back to him, like she did when he was alive. It was obvious that she planned to ignore him.

Sanji huffed and frowned.

"Let's go, Kumashi. There's nothing to do here." The dog followed her out of the room, while Sanji clenched his fists in frustration.

Of all the people who could see him, why did she have to be the one?

* * *

There was something about Perona that only the people closest to her knew.

She could see and hear ghosts since she was a little kid. They stopped haunting her when Moria took her under his wing and told her that she shouldn't be afraid of them, but the other way around.

She disliked graveyards because most of the ghost she encountered weren't cute, but annoying. Now that Perona was a full grown adult, she wouldn't even bat an eyelash whenever she saw a ghost. However, this time she couldn't supress her surprise. What was Sanji doing in her house?!

From her experience, she knew that it wasn't uncommon for a dead person's spirit to appear if he had something left to do on Earth, but if that was the case, what was Sanji doing at her house? He should be at the gravey—

Oh wait. Zoro went this morning to visit him. It would make sense for Sanji to have followed him. But then, if that had happened, then it would have been impossible for her not to notice him sooner.

She decided to stop thinking about it before she got a headache. She didn't consider that _**uncute bastard**_ a threat, after all. She expected Sanji to pay Zoro a little visit, see if he was okay without him —which was true, in Perona's mind— and leave forever. Damn, if he went to Heaven, Hell or whatever place he wanted, Perona didn't care as long as he left for good.

For now, she was more concerned about Ace. She wondered what happened to make him faint so suddenly, so she headed to the nearest guest room.

"Are you here?" She asked, opening the door and peeking inside. She was right.

Ace had been placed on the bed, and Zoro was seated by his side. Mihawk was there too, but what annoyed Perona was that no one had called a maid to attend Ace.

"How's he's doing? Why aren't you doing anything to help him?! He may be sick!" She scolded. Mihawk let out a breath, his only way to deal with Perona's mood.

"He's sleeping, mom." Zoro explained.

"S-sleeping?" Perona frowned, not believing him. When she saw Ace's chest rising with every breath, she finally was convinced.

"He'll be okay." Mihawk's stated. "I've heard of things like these, he would be waking up soon."

Perona perked up at Mihawk's words, and she took his hand to lead him out of the room.

"What the—"

"Let's give them some time alone." Perona smiled mischievously. Mihawk grimaced, obviously not agreeing with her. Perona pouted. "Don't be like that, I doubt they do **stuff**, I bet they'll only chat and get to know each other better."

"I'd believe that if you hadn't showed him **that** photo of my son." Mihawk's tone was stern.

"I won't show it to anyone else, I promise!" Perona's big eyes shone with plead.

_What photo?!_ Sanji, who had followed Perona since he expected her to go where Zoro was, was horrified when he heard their conversation. What if Mihawk was right and the sleeping man tried to have sex with Zoro?

_Well, I'd better make sure that doesn't happen._

He hadn't been paying attention to the last bits of conversation between Perona and Mihawk, so he didn't know what had the pink haired woman said —or did— to convince Mihawk to finally leave the two young adults alone. But they had, and that was what mattered now.

Sanji stared sadly at Zoro. He wanted so much for Zoro to see him, to touch him, or at least know that he was there with him.

With him and that other man, who had started to stir in his sleep, and finally fluttered his eyes open, much to Sanji's frustration.

"Aw, dammit, did I get asleep?" Ace asked Zoro, rubbing the back of his head. Zoro nodded. "I'm sorry for the trouble." He sat up. "I can't help it, it just happens and it's kind of annoying. Uh... Zoro, right?" The green haired man nodded again. "Where are your parents?" He looked around and found no one else. Well, **saw** no one else.

"I don't know. Mother d-dragged my dad out, thought I c-couldn't hear why." Zoro lied, having heard a little of their conversation.

"Zoro," Ace stared intently at him.

"What?"

"You're shivering."

"I k-know. It's gotten very cold suddenly." Zoro rubbed his hands together, trying to heat them. Sanji noticed that Zoro's shivering worsened when he got closer to him.

_So it's true what they say; it feels cold when you're in a room with a ghost_, Sanji thought, feeling guilty for making Zoro uncomfortable. He was about to get away from Zoro so he didn't feel cold anymore, when Ace started taking off his jacket, surprising both men.

"Ace?" Zoro blushed slightly when the freckled man put the jacket over his shoulders.

"Better?" Ace smiled softly at him. Zoro felt his face reddening further.

"Y-you didn't need to." He stuttered, though this time it wasn't because of the chattering of his teeth.

Sanji clenched his fists in jealousy. _Show-off_.

He fixed his eyes back on Zoro when the green haired man suddenly panted.

"You okay?" Ace raised one eyebrow at him, a concerned look on his eyes.

"It's just... It's very hot in here." Zoro averted his eyes, removing the jacket from his body.

"Really? I thought it was just me." Ace chuckled, receiving his jacket from Zoro.

"W-w-what are you doing?!" Both Zoro and Sanji exclaimed (though the latter one couldn't be heard) when Ace removed his shirt, exposing his bare chest.

His bare, toned chest.

"No, Zoro, don't look at him!" Sanji got angrier.

"Man, it's pretty **hot** in here, don't you think?" While he stressed 'hot', his eyes acquired a playful tint. Sanji was getting beyond pissed now. It was obvious that this bastard was trying to seduce Zoro.

The green haired man, blushing madly, let out a deep breath and loosened his shirt a little.

"What's wrong with this room? Can't they get the calefaction working right?" Zoro averted his eyes from Ace's luring eyes.

_Can't they get this shitty bastard away from Zoro?!_, Sanji thought bitterly. When Zoro was about to unbutton his shirt, his anger was replaced by fear. He couldn't be serious!

Zoro stopped at the first button. Ace seemed a little disappointed.

"Hey, it isn't as hot as earlier." Zoro noticed. Ace shrugged. Sanji's eyes widened a little at the realization. He concluded that the room got hotter the angrier he got, so that explained why its temperature lowered when he stopped being angry.

_I have to calm myself or else Zoro'll be the next taking his shirt off and then...!_ He didn't want to imagine it, so he focused on relaxing. He started taking deep breaths.

"It's getting colder now. Ace-san, you should put your shirt on." Zoro looked at the man's eyes, trying his best not to stare at his abs. "You might catch a cold."

"Hmm, I'd rather not." Ace smirked. "I don't like wearing shirts, y'know."

_I can tell_, Zoro thought, remembering the magazines of his mother and feeling his cheeks heatening.

"So, Zoro, what do you do?" Ace decided it was enough teasing for now and tried to start a conversation.

"Uh, I worked at a school teaching kendo."

"Worked?"

"Yeah, well, the class got cancelled and now I'm here... Doing nothing."

"Man, must be awesome to be like that." Ace chuckled.

"It's boring. I only get to sleep and train and eat." Zoro half complained. "And how did you get to be a model for WB?"

"You wanna work with me?" Ace smirked, thinking about Zoro being in the next issue of WB magazine. "'Cause you seem fit for the work."

"R-really?" Ace nodded.

_Oh, God, no. Over my dead body. Oh wait_—

It was already a torture for Sanji to have to stay calm while this _**shirtless, cocky bastard**_ talked with Zoro and now seemed to be —no, wait, **was**— undressing Zoro with his eyes. He would die again (as absurd as it sounded) if Zoro accepted a job like that. Then it wouldn't be only Ace who undressed Zoro with his gaze, it would be thousands of people.

"I'd rather not. I'm just curious about how you got there." Sanji let out a relieved breath.

"Well, it's a long story. Do you happen to know Gol D. Roger?"

Zoro nodded, immediately associating that name with the largest and most powerful shipping line in the country. But he also knew that company was a facade, because Roger was best known as the top smuggler of the underworld. If you wanted anything, for a large sum of money you could have gotten it, and no one else knew how he never got caught. However, Roger was killed by the competition and his company was now managed by Silvers Rayleigh, his right hand man. He had gotten all that info from his parents, mostly from Mihawk, who was more involved with the underworld than Perona.

"Did you know he was a top smuggler?" Zoro nodded again, and Ace smirked. "Smart kid. Dracule Mafia, right?" It wasn't uncommon for them to be quite famous, thanks to the rumors that went around the city.

"And Gecko Mafia." Zoro added. "Roger was sort of famous in the underworld, so..."

"Well, he's my father." Ace whispered, his face very close to Zoro's. The surprise prevented Zoro from blushing due to the short distance between them.

"Y-your father?" Zoro felt the room getting hotter again, because Sanji was fuming at the sight of Ace's being very close to Zoro.

"My biological father, but I didn't really know him, you see. He sent me to boarding schools since I was little, and when he died I was sent to a cop that used to be his friend or whatever. Monkey D. Garp. Well, long story short, when I graduated from high school I met Marco and he introduced me to Pops."

"Pops?" Zoro's voice came out like a pant, reminding Sanji that he had to control himself.

"Whitebeard, we call him Pops. He's like a real father to me." He flashed a bright smile, getting away a little from Zoro.

"Seems you like him a lot." Zoro smiled a little too, pleased to see Ace so happy, though he had met him just an hour ago.

"I do. Pops and his models treat me like I'm from their family, not the child of Gol D. Roger."

"By the way, Ace..."

"Hmm?" Ace's face approached his, making him blush a little.

"I w-was wondering... If you're Roger's son, why aren't you managing his—" he couldn't end his sentence because Ace took his wrist and shoved him on the bed. Sanji gaped the scene like a fish out of the water.

"His company?" Zoro recognized the predatory tint in Ace's eyes, and gulped, feeling his face getting hotter (though he didn't know that it wasn't only because of Ace's proximity, but for Sanji's murderous rage). The green haired man could only nod in response. "It sounded boring, so I gave it to Rayleigh as long as he gave me a nice percentage of the earnings." He rested his forearms on both sides of Zoro's head.

_"_Get off of him!_" _Sanji screamed, though no one could really hear him.

"Um... Do you have to get so close?" Zoro couldn't stop breathing heavily, not used to the heat caused by Sanji. Ace loved when Zoro started breathing like that, though he had to admit that the heat was getting a little too unbearable for him. It felt hotter when Ace put his forehead against Zoro's.

"You can stop me if you want—"

In that moment, the door opened and Perona's voice could be heard.

"I told you they wouldn't do stu—" Perona stopped mid-sentence, her eyes wandering to the three men in the room (Sanji included). Sanji was shaking from anger (which explained why the room was boiling), Zoro was blushing madly and panting heavily, and a shirtless Ace whose face was only centimeters from her only son.

The three of them were staring at Perona, and then at Mihawk, who was behind her. Perona sweatdropped and Sanji cheered mentally when Mihawk's murderous glare was set on Ace.

"I'll kill him."

* * *

**OOOOH ACE'S SO DEAD**

**AND SANJI'S TOO *badum tss***

**-gets a tomato thrown at her-**

**And, dudes and dudettes, was chapter 3. I made Perona have the ability to see ghosts since it's pretty close (?) To her devil fruit powers. At least for me. And I thought it would be funny (like, cruel funny) to make a person who dislikes Sanji the only one who can see him. It's like having your hopes being crushed. LOL.**

**I really hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**AAAAAND I wanted to tell you this: Ace isn't the only one who will try to court Zoro ewe I've planned this story like, a year ago and I'm proud to say that the plot is quite clear in my head, so I hope I don't screw things up.**

**I've got planned for Sanji's next rivals: Ace, Luffy, Doflamingo, Shanks, Cavendish (yeah, I like the guy), and Rayleigh. Poor Sanji, this won't be easy. **


	4. The monkeys

**I made this chapter a little longer, so that's why I took a little longer to update.**

* * *

Just when Sanji thought that his first day as a ghost couldn't get worse because of Ace's visit, Mihawk and Perona had entered the guest room.

And, maybe for the first and last time, he considered Mihawk a saint, especially when the man who would have become his father-in-law said:

"I'll kill him."

Unfortunately for both, Ace escaped through the window as soon as Mihawk's finished his sentence.

"Whoops. Gotta go. See ya later, Zoro!" Ace's words were so rushed that it was a miracle that everyone understood him.

Even when he was probably gone by then, Mihawk's glare didn't falter.

"Perona."

"Eep!" The pink haired woman was startled by the severity on his tone.

"I don't want him near my house." He stated, leaving the room, probably heading for the dining room.

Perona huffed.

"Cranky old man." She growled before looking at her son. "Well, it's a shame. Let's hope the next one knows how to contain his instincts."

Both Zoro and Sanji tensed at Perona's words.

"Next one?" Zoro's voice was calmer and lower than Sanji's, so Perona had difficulties in ignoring him, much to her dismay.

"Yes, did you expect me to give up so easily?"

"I thought it was a one-time thing." Zoro's cheeks were still red because of the heat, and Sanji's mood didn't help.

"Well, it's not. And please go take a shower, you're covered in sweat."

"Can't you let me just pick someone I like?"

"Why? You didn't like Ace?" Perona asked back, grinning devilishly when Zoro's face became redder, and it wasn't because of the heat.

"Well..."

"Zoro!" Sanji gasped in shock, though only Perona could hear him. The woman sent a hateful glare towards him.

"See? The first and last time I let you 'pick someone', you... Ugh!" She wanted to add 'you almost married that bastard', but didn't want Zoro to get upset. "I won't let that happen again. What better than if we both like him? We'll both be happy that way."

Zoro didn't seem convinced.

"I'm gonna take a shower. You better call someone to fix the calefaction, it's getting annoying." Zoro sighed, leaving the room.

"Oh, don't worry. I **will**." Her glare was back on Sanji. The blond man stood there, reminding himself that he shouldn't glare back at a woman. Even if that woman was Perona. "You've seen it already. Zoro is pretty **fine** without you, so go away." She gracefully left the room before Sanji could even answer back.

The ghost stomped his foot on the floor, trying to get rid of his frustration. That woman was really wrong if she thought he would give up so easily.

Sanji, having been left alone in the room, chose to follow Zoro, since he was the only one in the house who he wanted to see. He had left not long ago, so it wasn't difficult for Sanji to find him. Zoro seemed thoughtful, so it was no surprise that he almost bumped into a door.

"Ah, dammit." Zoro hissed. "This is not my room."

Sanji couldn't suppress a chuckle. He knew of Zoro's talent of getting lost, but he didn't think it was possible for him to get lost in, what Sanji considered, to be his own home.

When Zoro finally got to his room, after what Sanji thought to be 5 minutes, not because Zoro got lost again, but because _**damn it, this house is huge**_.

A few weeks before his death, Sanji found out that Zoro was rich. Zoro had tried to hide that fact (and did a good job), but once Sanji asked why his parents didn't like him at all, Zoro had no choice but to tell the truth.

Mihawk didn't like Sanji because he thought he was an ill-mannered, perverted pig. Perona didn't like Sanji because _he's an uncute bastard who doesn't deserve my son_. They both agreed that neither liked Sanji because he wasn't rich and was probably dating Zoro for his money and status in the criminal underworld.

Sanji didn't pay much importance to it, since he wasn't after his money or anything of the kind. He didn't imagine Zoro to be **that** rich, until he followed the green haired man to his room. He had been very wrong.

The walls, the hallways, the windows, the stairs, even the damn ceiling was beautifully adorned. Zoro's bedroom was different. Of course, the flat screen TV occupied most of a wall, the queen sized bed invited everyone to take a nap on it, but besides them there were only a closet, two nightstands and a desk. If you ignored its gargantuan proportions, it seemed quite simple.

Zoro went straight to the bathroom attached to his room, and Sanji only followed him when he heard the noise of the shower. It was kind of easy since he could pass through the door.

Ah, the blessings of being a ghost! Oh, how he had missed Zoro's toned body. He couldn't touch him, but at least he could see him without being noticed. Even though he was a ghost, blood flowed out of his nostrils. Ah, his soaked skin looked so alluring...

Zoro, on the other hand, couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched. He knew it was stupid, but still.

_I wish I could touch him..._ Sanji thought, approaching Zoro to get a nice view of his ass. Sanji's hand dared to bring his hand closer to it, even though he knew he would only pass through Zoro, like a hologram.

Or so he thought.

Zoro's breath hitched when he felt a cold hand on his buttocks. A fucking hand. Sanji was amazed when his hand actually touched his beloved Zoro, but his happiness ended soon.

"MOM!" Zoro screamed, half annoyed, half embarrassed. Sanji wondered why he wasn't scared.

Perona, as if on cue, rushed through the door.

"What, dearie?" She found his son putting a towel around his hips, and she fought to suppress a gasp when she noticed Sanji. It didn't take a genius to know what happened.

"**It** happened again!" Zoro growled.

Sanji's perverted smile disappeared, horror and jealousy invading his features. Wasn't this the first time a ghost molested Zoro?

Perona was fuming. For some reason it angered her more that Sanji was the one who touched Zoro than her own son being touched.

_That bastard! Can't he freaking go away?_! Her hands were balled into fists, trembling with fury.

"Don't worry, mommy will take care of it." She grunted. She approached Sanji, stomping her feet. Before the blond man could say anything, Perona slapped him, making him disappear. "It's gone." She said, satisfied. Zoro, however, was still frowning.

There was something **familiar** in that touch, though he wouldn't say it aloud.

"Who was that ghost?" It was the first time in a while he asked that. Perona stiffened.

"A woman." She answered quickly, to erase Zoro's doubts. "A very ugly woman. Ugh."

Zoro let out a relieved, yet disappointed breath.

"For a moment I thought it was..."

"It was a woman." Perona interrupted him, growing annoyed. "Get ready for dinner, she won't bother you again." She ordered, leaving the bathroom.

Zoro wondered why his mother was so angry, but he concluded it was because his date with Ace didn't go well. With a sigh, he continued his shower.

* * *

Zoro, being Perona's child, had inherited a fraction of his mother's ability. He couldn't see ghosts, he couldn't even touch them, but he could feel them.

It annoyed him a lot. He couldn't use the ability to his advantage, even though he imagined that a ghost would be a nice sparring partner, he had never found a ghost powerful enough to lift swords. Perona kicked out every ghost sooner or later. Most of the time it was because of them molesting Zoro.

Perona learnt how to vanish those ghosts who didn't obey her from Kuma, a 'colleague' of Moria. It wasn't permanent, but she made sure her hit was so painful that no ghost would ever come back to her house.

She hoped Sanji would follow their example.

Mihawk raised an eyebrow at his wife when she arrived to the dining room, quieter than usual.

"Another ghost?" He asked.

"An ugly woman." She growled, forgetting that Mihawk didn't care about the identity of the spirit, unlike her son. Mihawk frowned slightly, finding Perona's behavior strange. She rarely was bothered so much by a ghost.

Perona took a sip to her tea, trying to get rid of her anger. After a few minutes, Zoro finally joined them for dinner.

* * *

Sanji woke up, feeling the same soreness he had when he died and went to Heaven. Except that he wasn't in Heaven. His eyes widened in fear, thinking for a moment that he was back in Kamabakka Kingdom AKA Hell. After a few seconds of inspecting the place, he sighed in relief. He wasn't in Hell.

However, he wasn't in Zoro's house either. He was brought to a graveyard. And... It had passed a good time since Perona kicked him out, since now the sun was in the sky.

"Augh, shit..." He hissed at the pain when he tried to get up. He succeeded, and was surprised to see that he had been laying on his own gravestone, and two bouquet of flowers rested before it. "Who left this?" He thought aloud.

"A young man with green hair." Sanji was startled by the voice. He turned around, his pain dulled by the surprise of seeing more ghosts floating around the graveyard. The one who had spoken was a woman, a very beautiful one. Sanji nearly melted when she smiled at him.

"W-who are you?"

"My name's Bellemere."

"A-and you made a deal with Ivankov too?" Sanji stammered. Bellemere looked at him confused, but then chuckled.

"Eh... I don't know that person. I went to Heaven, and since yesterday was my birthday, the guy up there gave me permission to see my daughters when they came to visit my grave."

"He could do that?!" Sanji gasped, wanting to strangle himself for accepting Ivankov's proposal.

"Yes. Though only for twenty four hours. Then, I'll go back to Heaven. My daughters already visited me yesterday, so I guess I don't have much time left."

_So it's only for a day, huh..._ Sanji felt the need to hit himself fade.

"You said a guy with green hair left the flowers?"

"Yeah. I saw him two hours after I arrived here. He was with a scary tall man, I heard him call him 'dad', and they stayed here for a while. Then, an old man with a peg leg met them, and he left the other bouquet."

"The shitty old man..." Sanji mumbled.

"Huh?"

"My father." Sanji explained. "And the man with green hair was my fiancé." Bellemere nodded. "By the way..." He said, noticing the other souls wandering the graveyard. "Is everyone else's birthday or something?"

Bellemere shook her head no. "I talked with them and they seem to not have found peace yet." She said with a little pity. "Others said they were kicked out by some Perona, but I wouldn't talk to them again. Creepy perverts." She shuddered. Just hearing Perona's name reminded Sanji that the woman wouldn't rest until she found a good boyfriend for Zoro. And he was doomed if that happened.

"I need to go, and Happy Birthday." He smiled. Bellemere waved him goodbye. He had to find the way back to Zoro's house, even though his incorporeal body hurt.

* * *

"Woo, Home Run!" A black haired teen cheered in excitement, until he and the rest of players heard a dreadful **crash**.

"Oh, we're screwed!" A long nosed one shrieked, his knees trembling. "And that was our last ball!"

"I'll go for it, Usopp, no problem." The one who had hit the ball said. Usopp grabbed him by his shoulders.

"Are you crazy, Luffy?!" He shook him. "Do you know who lives there?!"

"Uh..." Luffy tilted his head.

"Dracule Mihawk and his family live there!" The rest of players yelled, annoyed by Luffy's ignorance.

"Dracule what?" Luffy frowned. Everyone else facepalmed.

"He's a mafia boss! I heard that one time he defeated one hundred guys alone!"

"Oh, cool!" Luffy's eyes sparkled. Usopp smacked him in the head.

"It's not! He will kill you if you say you were the one who broke his window!"

"It's not my fault he decided to live near the park..." Luffy huffed. "Besides, we need the ball if we want to keep playing." Much to Usopp's horror, Luffy went to the feared residence.

The teen climbed a tree and used it to get to the walls that surrounded the house. He off them without trouble, falling on his feet. With a quick glance he noticed that he was in a very nice garden, and there was a sidewalk that led to the main door of the house. Without wasting time, he ran towards it, and rang the bell. Almost immediately, the door opened, and a man that looked like a butler was standing in front of him.

"Yes?"

"Um, I came for the ball." Luffy stated simply. Suddenly, the butler was shoved by a very irritated woman with pink hair.

"You little punk!" She scolded. "So you're the one who broke my window?" Luffy nodded. "I expect you to pay for it, it wasn't cheap, you know! And... Are you even listening?!" She shrieked when she noticed that Luffy, instead of paying attention, was trying to look inside Perona's house.

"Where's Mihawk?" He asked, disappointed that he couldn't find the man he considered 'cool'.

"Why would you want to see that grumpy old man?" Perona huffed.

"I heard he's really strong!" Luffy exclaimed. Perona's frown deepened.

"He's not here!"

Luffy pouted. "At least can I get my ball?"

"I destroyed it." Perona said grimly. Luffy's eyes widened, in what Perona thought, horror, until she heard Zoro's voice.

"Mom, aren't you being a little too harsh with him?" Zoro frowned when his mother glared at him.

"No, I'm not." She turned back to the black haired teen, and she growled. That dense brat wasn't even paying attention to her, his gaze was on Zoro! She nearly gasped when she recognized the emotion those eyes held.

Infatuation. For Zoro. Well, poor kid. He had no chance, in Perona's eyes.

"It's just a window." Zoro answered.

_Woah! He's... Uh... How would Ace say it? ...Hot!_ Luffy thought, gulping.

"Just a window, young man?!" Perona shrieked. "Where else I'm going to get a window with bears in it?! Where?" She yelled.

"Well, it's not his fault you decided to live near the park." Zoro folded his arms crossed.

_He's so cool! And we think alike!_ Luffy felt his cheeks reddening, until Perona snapped her slender fingers before him. "Uh?"

"Well, you gonna stand there saying nothing? Give me your parents' phone. I don't have all day."

"Are you Mihawk?" Luffy was looking at Zoro and completely ignoring Perona, which made her angrier.

"What?" Zoro was taken aback by the sudden question. "He's my father. My name is Zoro."

_You don't have to tell him your name!_ Perona growled inwardly, her delicate hands balling into fists. She almost fainted when Luffy took Zoro's hand in his, and raised them to his chest.

"I'm Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy!" He said seriously.

"Eh?" Zoro was confused by his behavior. Perona, on the other hand, gasped when she recognized the surname. "N-nice to meet you. You can release my hand now..."

Luffy shook his head no.

"Can I..."

"Yes, of course you can go on a date with him!" Perona interrupted. Zoro and Luffy's jaws fell wide open.

"W-What?!" Zoro couldn't help the trembling in his voice.

_What's up with her? She was yelling at him not long ago and now she wants him to date me?!_

"Uh... I was going to ask for the bathroom, but I guess a date is fine too." Luffy tilted his head, making Perona want to facepalm. "If Zoro wants, of course."

Zoro wanted to refuse; just yesterday he dated another guy! Couldn't he take a break?

When he received Luffy's (and Perona's) puppy stare, he knew he couldn't.

"Isn't it illegal? You're only a kid..." Zoro wondered, Luffy looked like a typical high-schooler. His childish face didn't help to conceal it.

"I'm not!" Luffy protested, puffing his cheeks. "I'm eighteen!" He said proudly.

"Then I guess we can go out." He sighed, his shoulders slumping. Luffy flashed a big grin.

"Awesome!" His hands were still holding Zoro's, and he squeezed it a little. Zoro blushed slightly at the contact. "I'll be back at 5 pm, alright?" Zoro nodded, and finally Luffy released his hand and ran towards the main gate.

"Go open the gates for him." Perona instructed the butler, and he obliged with a courteous nod. Once the butler was out of sight, Zoro glared at his mother, his eyes demanding answers. Perona glared back. "Don't you know who that boy is?" She knew the answer, but she asked anyway.

"Luffy?" Zoro said obliviously. Perona huffed.

"He's the grandson of the chief of Police Garp!" She was a little anxious now. "I didn't want to get his attention for yelling at his grandson! We definitely don't need the Police Chief's eyes on us!" Her finger poked Zoro's chest.

_So you offered me like I was a piece of meat? Thanks, mom._ Zoro thought sarcastically.

"But he didn't seem the type to go and accuse you to his gramps." Zoro's frown deepened.

"Who knows?! Maybe he is. I'm sorry, but I couldn't think of another thing to make sure he won't talk. He had **that** look in his eyes while he observed you..."

"What look?" Zoro tensed.

"Infatuation, of course." Perona smirked when Zoro averted his eyes, obviously a little embarrassed. "Don't be abashed, dearie. You know you're handsome, who in their right mind wouldn't like you?" She said with a little pride in her voice.

Zoro growled, uncomfortable with the conversation. Perona just giggled in response.

* * *

Usopp and the rest of baseball players gasped in surprise when they watched Luffy leaving, apparently unharmed, Dracule Mihawk's house.

"He's alive!" Usopp shrieked, both in amazement and relief. "So, what happened?" He approached Luffy. The teen's smile widened, if that could be possible.

"I got a date!"

"A date?!" Everyone else exclaimed in disbelief. Luffy nodded.

"Weren't you suppossed to get the ball back?!" Usopp scolded.

"Uh, yeah, but it was destroyed, I think."

"Aww..." Usopp pouted. "A-anyway, who did you get a date with? **How**?"

"Well, a woman with pink hair started yelling at me when she opened the door, and then he stood up for me! He's so cool! His name is Zoro! Oh, and he has green hair and he said he was Mihawk's son!"

"WHAT?!" Usopp's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"I'll be at his house at 5 pm!" Luffy kept grinning. "See? I told you I could get a date whenever I wanted." Luffy stuck out his tongue.

"I didn't say it seriously, Luffy!"

"I heard that Mihawk's son is smoking hot... Is that true?" Another teen said dreamily. Luffy blushed a little, but nodded. "Wow, you're so lucky!"

* * *

"Ugh! Where the fuck is that shitty house?!" Sanji panted, feeling both tired and sore. He didn't knew ghosts could get tired until now.

The blond man thanked that there was a park nearby, so he could rest a little.

Once he laid on a bench, he released a deep breath. The bench was uncomfortable, but at least it was better than the ground. He could have taken a nap as well, but he couldn't ignore the voices of a group of brats who were too noisy.

"I got a date!" He heard one of them say, and sighed when the rest of them screamed in disbelief.

_Pfft, kids._

Sanji looked up at the sky, prefering to focus on the strange shapes of the clouds instead of the conversation between the group of teenagers.

"... His name is Zoro!"

Sanji sat up, startled. _What?!_

He turned around and stared at the teen who, judging by his big smile, was the one who was talking right now.

_He must be talking about another Zoro. __**My**__ Zoro would never date someone like him!_

"... And he has green hair and he said he was Mihawk's son!"

_Well, I'm fucked._

"I'll be at his house at 5 p.m!" The black haired teen said.

"Well, at least I can follow him." Sanji thought aloud, though no one could hear him.

"Luffy, where are you going?" A long-nosed teen asked. Luffy —_the shitty bastard_, in Sanji's eyes— was running out of the park.

"I need to get ready for my date! I can't go like this!" Sanji's stomach churned at his words, but he was right: an old and dirty baseball uniform would be innapropiate for a date with Zoro. Sanji followed him, since he had no other way to get to Zoro's house.

When Luffy got to his house, Sanji was surprised to see Ace in the couch.

"You're early." Ace said, his gaze never leaving the TV.

"I have a date." Luffy said, his chest swelling in pride. Ace, who was drinking from a can of cola, spat out the contents, shocked.

"You what?!"

"I-I have a date." Luffy blushed, embarrassed by Ace (over)reaction. The freckled man stood up and wrapped his arm around Luffy's neck.

"Aw, my little brother is finally growing up!" He said teasingly. "And who's the lucky lady?"

"It's a guy." Ace wasn't even surprised.

"Then, who's the lucky guy?" He smirked. "Is he hot?" Luffy blushed further.

"Ace!"

"What? I'm curious."

Luffy frowned. "He is. And he's very cool!" His face lit up.

"And he's mine." Sanji's growl was unheard.

"Actually, Ace, I wanted to ask you a favor."

"Whatever for my little brother." Ace went back to the couch, smiling calmly.

"I need you to help me, it's my first date ever and I don't know what to do but I don't want to ruin it!" Luffy pouted.

"Don't worry, just be yourself." He said nonchalantly, his eyes on the TV again. "It always works for me."

"Ace!" Luffy protested. "That's not enough!" He stood up between Ace and the TV, blocking his vision.

"Then what do you have in mind, genius?" Ace frowned, shoving Luffy to the side so he could watch the football game.

"I've seen in a movie that a guy gave tips to his friend on a date while following him. Like a spy!" He said excitedly.

"Luffy, that's a movie. There's no way I can do that." The teenager pouted.

"Then... You could follow us! And whenever I'm doing something wrong, you can text me!" His excitement came back, now that he was convinced that his plan would work.

"I'm afraid that if I follow you, your date might fall in love with me. I mean, who wouldn't?" Ace smirked, half joking.

"Zoro wouldn't!" Sanji exclaimed, annoyed by the fact that he couldn't be seen nor heard by these dumbasses.

"No, he won't!" Luffy frowned. "Use something that makes you look less attractive! Like a trench coat!"

"Have you forgotten? I'm a model. **Everything** suits me fine." He said cockily. "But don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't see me. I'd never ruin my little brother's first date." He flashed a reassuring smile. Luffy smiled back.

"Thanks, Ace! Eh... Could you help me to pick some clothes too?" He smiled sheepishly. Ace chuckled.

"Of course, little bro."

* * *

Ace and Luffy had agreed on meeting at the mall, since it was a nice place to have a date with all of its restaurants and amusements. And also because Ace had said that it was a really bad idea to have a date while you're at your date's house, especially when his parents are present (experience from his last date).

Once Luffy and Sanji arrived at Zoro's house, the latter was pissed when he discovered that it was practically next to the park, so he didn't need to follow Luffy after all. Ugh. However, his anger dissipated to worry when a butler opened the main gates to the house, and escorted Luffy to the inside. What if Perona was there? He totally didn't want that woman to slap him away for another bunch of hours. He had no choice but to wait for Luffy and Zoro outside.

The minutes that followed felt like hours to Sanji. Finally, the main gates opened again and the blonde ghost felt his heart fluttering when he saw Zoro. He was dressed casual as always, you couldn't tell he was rich.

"Let's go, Zoro!" Luffy took Zoro's hand, which angered Sanji. The raven haired boy started running towards the mall, his hand not releasing Zoro's.

Sanji followed them, glaring daggers at Luffy. Worse yet, he couldn't believe that Zoro actually let him hold his hand for so long. He wished he could do that... Actually, he could, but Zoro would freak out since he couldn't see him.

_Goddamnit_.

When they finally got to the mall, Luffy was still holding Zoro's hand and Sanji was still angry.

At least he isn't like the pervert of yesterday...

"Na, Zoro, what would you like to do first? Go to the video arcade? Eat pizza? Go to the movies? Eat meat?" Luffy bounced excitedly, and his eyes seemed to be looking for something, or someone.

"Well—"

"HEY, YOU DUMBASS!" Both Luffy and Zoro flinched when they recognized Ace's voice. The freckled man practically ran towards them. Zoro couldn't contain his surprise. "You didn't tell me Zoro was your date!" He grabbed Luffy by the collar of his shirt.

"You never asked! Besides, how do you know him?!" Luffy frowned, trying to break free from his grip.

"I dated him **yesterday**, idiot! I told you a lot of times!"

"Guys..." Zoro tried to intervene, seeing that they were drawing attention from everyone.

"Well, I wasn't payin' attention!" Luffy yelled back. "And he isn't dating you right now, so I can date him!" He stuck out his tongue, but Ace smacked his head, making Luffy bite his tongue.

"That's not how it works! He's still mine!" Ace's forehead clashed with Luffy's, glaring at him. Zoro felt his face burn in embarrassment. Sanji, on the other hand, was shouting curses at Ace.

"Says who?!" Luffy glared back, his speech a little muffled because of his hurt tongue.

"I nearly hit a home run with him!"

"T-that's not true!" Zoro blushed furiously.

"Eh? You play baseball too, Zoro?" Luffy asked, not catching the meaning of Ace's words.

"You're such a kid!" Ace said.

"You said you wouldn't ruin my date!" Luffy protested.

"This is not a date, this is betrayal! From my own brother!" Ace said dramatically.

"He's your brother?" Zoro's question was ignored.

"It's not my fault if he prefers me instead of you." Luffy puffed his cheeks.

"What? Why would he prefer **you** over **me**?"

"I dunno, but if he accepted a date with me just the day after you dated him then you must suck at dates."

"Actually..."

"How dare you!" Ace glared at Luffy, and then he grabbed Zoro's shoulders. "Tell me, Zoro, do you like him more than me?" He said like a lost puppy.

"He doesn't!" Sanji roared.

"Uh..." Zoro was growing uncomfortable, especially since a group of people had reunited around them, curious.

"I'll ask again," he took off his shirt, causing some girls in the crowd to squeal. Zoro blushed at the sight. "Do you prefer Luffy over **me**?" Now his voice was alluring, sending shivers up Zoro's spine.

"Um..." Since Sanji was near Zoro, the hot anger that the ghost emanated only served to aggravate the flushing in Zoro's face.

"Hey, that's no fair, Ace!" Luffy protested, taking off his shirt too. "Look, Zoro, I have muscles too!" He wasn't lying. He looked like an average teen with clothes on, but he had a nice six-pack under his shirt, which drew another squeal from the girls in the crowd. Some of them were taking photos with their phones.

"This is awkward..." Zoro put a hand on his face, feeling it burn. "Put your clothes on before they kick us out!" He said a bit too late, because a group of guards came and took Ace and Luffy by the arm.

"Oi! Let go!" Ace protested, but it didn't work. Soon, he and his brother were kicked out of the mall for causing trouble. Zoro had followed them, and Sanji was angry by that fact.

"Look what you've done, now where am I supposed to take Zoro?" Luffy frowned, putting his shirt back on, thankfully.

"You'll take him nowhere 'cause I'm the one who should be dating him!" Ace hissed between clenched teeth.

"Stop it already!" Zoro yelled, finally getting their attention. "I-I can't choose between you and Luffy because I know little about you two."

"Yeah, but you know more about me—" Ace got closer to Zoro.

"Ace, please put your shirt on." Zoro took a step backwards, averting his gaze. His face felt like boiling.

"Aww, but I love the feeling of the wind in my skin!" Ace pouted.

"You'll get in further trouble if you don't—"

"I know!" Luffy exclaimed suddenly, slamming his fist against his open palm.

"You know what?" Ace raised an eyebrow.

"Zoro said that he knew little about me, so what better way to let him know than going out with Zoro?" He said, his tone unusually logic.

"No way will I let you do that!"

"Guys..." Zoro sighed, tired of their discussion.

"Why not? Are you scared that he'll prefer me when he gets to know me?" Luffy taunted. Ace gasped, offended.

"As if that would ever happen! Fine, do what you want, but I'll be there too!"

Luffy pouted. "Uh? That's not fair!"

"Shut up!" Ace yelled, his teeth sharp as knives. "Tell, Zoro, where do you want to go?" His face turned friendly in an instant, making Zoro sweatdrop.

"Anywhere is fine by me, as long as you stop fighting." Zoro sighed.

"Roger that!" Ace and Luffy saluted. Zoro couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips; they looked so silly, yet so...

Charming.

Sanji felt like he blackened out for a second, which startled him. In that single second of darkness, he had caught a glimpse of Kamabakka Kingdom.

_For this to be happening when Zoro smiles at those idiots can only mean one thing... He's falling in love!_ He thought, alarmed.

_NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!_ He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He had to think of something to make Zoro stop liking these idiots.

"I'm hungry, let's go for some pizza, Zoro!" Luffy took Zoro's hand again, which made Ace and Sanji frown in annoyance.

"Alright." Zoro finally relaxed into the touch, as Luffy led him to the nearest pizza parlor. Ace was forced to put his shirt back on or else he wouldn't be allowed to enter (not that Luffy wanted him to follow them, but Ace was hungry too).

* * *

"... And that's how Luffy and I became brothers." Ace finished his long explanation about his relationship with Luffy, since Zoro wondered how the two of them could be brothers and have different surnames.

"Wow, that surely was... Interesting." Zoro said earnestly, yet he had problems focusing on the story since the two brothers were too close to him. He could almost feel their breathing.

"Man, this pizza is delicious!" Luffy said, putting another slice in his mouth.

"You say that about every food."

"I don't!" Luffy protested. Ace would have countered him if he hadn't seen the upset look in Zoro's eyes. Right. He didn't want them to fight. He took a deep breath.

"You're right." He said. Both Zoro and Luffy were surprised to hear him give in so easily. Ace just smiled casually in response.

Once they were finished eating, Luffy wanted to go back to the mall to watch the premiere of Pandaman the Movie. Surprisingly for Ace, who was about to reject the offer, Zoro wanted to watch the movie too, so he had no choice but to join them.

The hours that followed were nothing but dreadful for Sanji, as he had to see both brothers trying to make advances on Zoro, Ace feigning a yawn to put his arm around Zoro's shoulder and Luffy resting his hand on Zoro's. What bothered him the most was that Zoro didn't do anything to stop them.

Oh, right. Why would he? He was single, after all. Sanji was dead. It would be completely fine if Sanji couldn't see him. But he could, and that sucked. Worst of all, if Zoro fell in love again, Sanji was doomed.

Finally, the movie ended and the trio left the cinema, Sanji following them.

"So, what do you want to do, Zoro?" Ace said, trying to put his arm around Zoro again, but Luffy protested.

"Not fair, Ace!" He said in a hushed tone, remembering that Zoro didn't want them to fight.

"Alright." He growled, keeping his hands to himself. Sanji noticed their behavior, and suddenly had an idea.

_Zoro said earlier that he wanted these shitty bastards to stop arguing, so what better to end this damn date than making them quarrel?_

Zoro gasped when he felt a hand groping his butt. "W-who...?!" He stopped dead on his tracks, his angry frown joining the deep blush that appeared on his face.

Both Luffy and Ace stared at him, confused.

"Who what, Zoro?"

"Don't act stupid! One of you..." He gritted his teeth, his blush worsening. "G-grabbed my ass."

Luffy and Ace flinched in horror, but almost immediately it was replaced with rage. Both brothers took each other's collar.

"You pervert! You can't do that in public!" Luffy yelled, giving priority to the 'public' part.

"You idiot! You can't do that on the first date!" Ace countered at the same time.

"ME?! It wasn't me!" They protested at the same time. Zoro already felt embarrassed.

"You're a pervert, Ace! Of course it was you! You asked earlier if Zoro was hot!"

"You didn't tell me your date was Zoro then, you traitor!"

"You didn't ask!"

"Well, he still prefers me! I'm taller, stronger, older and better than you!"

"So what? Mine's bigger than yours!" Luffy yelled, making Zoro blush in embarrassment.

"What?" He exclaimed.

"My heart's bigger than Ace's!" Luffy answered, making Zoro release a relieved sigh. So Luffy didn't mean **that**...

"My dick's bigger!" Ace pointed at himself with his thumb.

So much for not hearing Ace say so.

"That's not true!"

"Wanna bet?!"

"Bring it on!"

"I'd better go home..." Zoro muttered when he noticed that some guards were heading their way, alerted by their fight. Sanji was smirking satisfactorily as Ace and Luffy got kicked out by the second time that day.

* * *

**LATER THAT DAY**

* * *

As Zoro peacefully slept, Sanji dared to caress his beloved's cheek. He smiled softly, glad that at least Zoro could feel him.

When his marimo leaned into the ghostly touch, Sanji gasped in surprise, but soon smiled again.

_I have to make him know that I'm here_, he decided, laying down next to his mosshead.

* * *

**That was all for now! I have no water, that sucks. Review if you feel like it.**


End file.
